


the blood of the covenant is stronger than the waters of baptism

by AslansCompass



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Gen, au because written before season 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-01-01
Packaged: 2018-03-04 20:06:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3087299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AslansCompass/pseuds/AslansCompass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Skye confronts her father. Written  before season 2, so obviously au</p>
            </blockquote>





	the blood of the covenant is stronger than the waters of baptism

Skye doesn’t look it—him?—her?—in the eyes. Oozing liquid (not blood, it’s the right color for blood, but it can’t be, there’s too much of it) crawls down the creature’s arms and legs, leaving splotches on the milkweed growing through the cracked concrete. “What do you want?” She manages to keep her words causal, clear enough to carry through the transmitter tucked behind her ear.  
“Oh, don’t bother your team. This is between you and me. A family matter, you might say.” The creature takes a step towards her. “You’ve forgotten me, haven’t you? Otherwise you’d never have let yourself be taken in.”  
“Taken in, huh?” Not the best retort, but still, keep it talking.  
“We are not limited to this world, this planet. We can travel galaxies and universes. I have defeated armies and ruled nations. And you, daughter—you could too.”  
“What if I don’t want to?” Skye forces herself to listen to the answer, because she’s afraid the question is real, not rhetorical. All that she’s seen in the past year—a bigger world, a stranger world. She can’t go back to her old life. “What if I have better things to do with my life than play Sith Lord?”  
“You have hidden so long, but not forever. Someday, you’ll wake up and see me in the mirror.” The being pauses, licks the liquid from the back of its left hand. “You think I’m a monster. But when that human disguise finally cracks, when your true nature reveals itself— try being a hero then.”  
“Just looking out for my best interests? Like a good parent?” Skye walks forward until she stands toe-to-toe with it. “Big mistake. Big mistake, because if you know shit about me, you’d know that I’ve heard those words over and over. Every time the nuns found a placement, that’s what the official forms said. But ‘good parent’ could mean ‘only drinks on the weekends.’ Could mean ‘brings you back after you get the flu.’ Could mean ‘makes you think it’ll last.’ But that’s not what it’s supposed to mean. That’s not what family is about. “  
Its blood creeps down her arms. “So don’t try making a claim on me. I don’t owe you shit. But I’ll give you this for free—don’t mess with me. Don’t mess with my people. I’m giving you a chance to leave—take it.” Her mattered hair falls over her eyes   
When she pushes it out of the way, the creature is gone.

 

——-  
By the time the rest of the team arrives, it’s over. Apart from stains on the pavement, there’s no proof anything was there at all. Skye is rubbing her arms clean.  
“You alright?” Simmons asks.  
“It’s not mine.”  
“Let’s fall in and head back to the Sandbox. Nothing more to do here.” Coulson declares.  
Simmons objects—shouldn’t they at least gather samples, do an energy reading? But Coulson turns around and heads back, assuming they’ll all follow him.   
He’d heard the whole conversation—the moment it began, he’d switched the others’ sets off to give Skye some privacy. But that didn’t mean someone shouldn’t be prepared for trouble. Only, he wasn’t sure if this was trouble.  
He’d been right—Skye wasn’t human, never had been. But a monster? Lumping her in with Loki and the Chiatari and…whatever that thing was….wasn’t right. Even Banner’s ‘other guy’ isn’t just a weapon to be primed whenever things get hairy. There’s more to humanity than genes and DNA, but he isn’t sure how to tell her that none of it matters. She’s not a disaster waiting to happen, any more than he is with the same alien juice in his veins.   
He’d said to Mike Peterson once that being a hero isn’t about what you have that others don’t, but about what you do with it. And the same is true about being a monster. You have to make that choice. And he knows her well enough to know that will never happen.


End file.
